Special Guest: Pauline Nguyen

Pauline Nguyen’s story begins with survival, but this conversation is ultimately about something much bigger: what happens when we stop allowing survival to run our lives.

Pauline escaped Vietnam with her family as part of the first wave of boat people after the war. Her father built the boat that carried them out of the country, and after nine days at sea, the family spent a difficult year in a refugee camp in Thailand. Growing up with a father deeply affected by war and trauma taught Pauline to read moods, anticipate danger and live in a constant state of hypervigilance. Those survival skills created enormous capacity, but they also came at a cost.

In this deeply personal conversation, Patrick and Pauline explore the journey from survival to self-mastery and why success in the outer world does not necessarily mean we have mastered our inner world.

Pauline shares how unresolved trauma can become embedded in our behaviour, relationships and leadership, and why emotional regulation is not simply a wellness practice. For entrepreneurs and leaders, it can directly influence decision-making, negotiations, team culture and performance.

They explore the importance of nervous-system regulation, intentional breathing, different forms of rest, building capacity by doing difficult things, and learning when to put the weight down. Pauline also explains why she believes great leadership must move beyond mindset to encompass the body, heart, health and spirit.

After 25 years building Red Lantern into an extraordinarily successful Vietnamese restaurant, Pauline has learned that leadership is not only about what we accomplish. It is about the state from which we lead. This is a powerful conversation about breaking cycles, building capacity, finding purpose, practising emotional mastery and creating success that does not require sacrificing yourself to achieve it.